SeViSSA Brief 1

Very high rates of sexual violence

with younger learners most vulnerable
The SeViSSA Kwanele* baseline study found that learners at Khayelitsha schools experience high levels of sexual
violence, including intimate partner violence in heterosexual dating relationships.

This research brief discusses this widespread violence, to which younger learners are particularly susceptible,
and makes recommendations for school-based interventions that address intimate partner violence.

High rates of sexual violence

Learner- and educator-perpetrated sexual
The baseline results revealed that violence is commonplace violence
and occurs mostly in classrooms, on sports fields, or in
bathrooms.

High rates of learner- and teacher-perpetrated sexual violence in

schools were surprising and concerning, with relatively high rates
of sexual violence committed by teachers, experienced by two
out of ten primary school learners and one out of ten high school
learners. Also worrying, was the apparent culture of silence
surrounding sexual violence, discussed in brief 2 of this series,
A culture of silence that normalises widespread violence.

Intimate partner violence is widespread

Learners in romantic relationships experience high levels of
violence at the hands of their partners with higher levels among
primary school learners, as shown in figure 4. Figure 1: Learner- and educator-perpetrated sexual violence in preceding 12 months

Most common forms of IPV (ranked)

1. Verbal threats

2. Slapping

3. Pushing/hair-pulling

4. Hitting (with a fist or object)

5. Kicking, dragging, beating, choking, burning

6. Threats with weapon

Figure 2: Girls at a school in Khayelitsha participate in a Generation Skillz activity that

encourages the discussion of gender issues
41% of primary school learners experienced
sexual violence in an intimate partnership
in the 12 months preceding the study
*The Sexual Violence in Schools in South Africa (SeViSSA) initiative aims to
create safe school environments by dealing with violence against girls. It is
being implemented by Grassroot Soccer and Soul City Institute in Khayelitsha
schools, through their Kwanele Project. A baseline study gives a picture of the
situation prior to the project starting and will help monitor its progress. See the
full report at: https://www.ru.ac.za/criticalstudies/policybriefsfeedbackreports/
 Type of sexual violence in intimate Sexual violence also featured as a form
partnerships of intimate partner violence
Girls experience such violence at much higher rates than boys. It is
also troubling to note the high numbers of primary school learners
reporting experiences of intimate partner violence. The study also
found that younger learners are less likely to report IPV.

Learners who have experienced partner-

perpretrated violence in dating relationships

Figure 3: Type of sexual violence among learners experiencing IPV

What can school-based interventions do

to address intimate partner violence?
The findings from the baseline study will be used to monitor and
evaluate the Kwanele intervention. They also point to some important Figure 4: Experiences of partner-perpetrated violence by cohort
lessons for school-based interventions seeking to prevent IPV.

1 Primary school learners need more 3

Question harmful gender norms.
attention.
Challenge harmful narratives and strengthen
Primary school learners are at high risk, but those that do not contribute to violence (like
are often underserved. Interventions need to: the alternative 'dating rules') through:
• speak to their developmental and • peer educators, who may be especially
gendered issues, while taking care not to well positioned as they are likely to be more
reinforce stereotypes; familiar with existing youth cultures;
• engage both boys and girls in interventions; • teachers and care-givers, who can have
• include violence and dating relationships a powerful influence in questioning local
as important issues. gender and relationship norms that
inadvertently promote IPV.

2
Engage with youth cultures and local 4
understandings. Stimulate further research with this
Unpack learners’ own understandings of: age group.
• gender and relationship norms (such as Further research is required to better
the ‘dating rules’ discussed in Brief 2); understand gender issues among primary
• meanings of sexual encounters; school-aged children and how these shape
• what counts as sexual violence. their experiences of IPV.

Produced with support from the Critical Health & Social Psychology research cluster, Massey University, New Zealand.
Recommended citation: Lynch, I., Morison, T. & Garden, E. SeViSSA Brief 1: A culture of silence that normalises widespread violence. Cape Town: Human Sciences
Research Council. Available at https://www.ru.ac.za/criticalstudies/policybriefsfeedbackreports/